1. Field of the Invention
A mounting rail bus system for supplying power voltage and data signals to a plurality of modules, including a plurality of longitudinally-arranged bus devices mounting the modules in parallel spaced transverse relation on a mounting rail, each of the bus devices including a printed circuit board having parallel strip conductors for transmitting data signals, and a pair of power contact pins for transmitting a power voltage, characterized by the provision of a plurality of generally L-shaped double bushing contact elements have module bush segments for respectively connecting the strip conductors and the contact pins of the bus device with the associated module, and orthogonally arranged partner bush segments for connecting together the strip conductors and pin contacts of adjacent bus devices, respectively, whereby power voltage and data signals are transmitted from the bus device both to the associated module and to the adjacent partner bus device.
2. Description of Related Art
It has been proposed in the prior art to provide mounting rail bus systems having a mounting rail upon which one can mount modules that can be lined up next to each other in the manner of a series terminal, which are also referred to as bus partners, and a station bus that is arranged in the mounting rail by means of which the modules can be connected among each other and preferably also with a control or a gateway. The modules preferably in each case have their own electronics, which is connected to the module bus, and they serve, as a rule, for the connection of field units such as actuators, sensors, or initiators.
The station bus supplies the modules with electrical energy and transfers data and/or control signals to the modules from the modules or between them.
The continually growing requirement in control technology for example, in automation technology, results in a demand for mounting rail bus systems that are further optimized in terms of the number of parts, the number of partners, and a contact design.
The present invention was developed to provide an improved rail-mounted module system that avoids the above and other drawbacks of the prior module mounting systems.